What to say?

I have a lot of unprocessed thoughts right now.
Haiti is falling apart.

need some proof? Click here

Our God is so big.
So good.
So loving.
So Faithful.

Our God placed it in men and women's hearts years ago to love and serve the people of Haiti. They have, over time developed programs and done great works of love over the past years. Many many people have fallen in love with Haiti since January 12. Many people have seen the great need and brokenness that is there, and praise the Lord for that! But there are many who have been there all along. That were well established in cities and towns WAY before the earthquake happened. God placed them there. They are already fluent in the language, have established relationships with the people and have built trust within those relationships. Prasie the Lord for that!

God was not suprised on January 12. He was not suprised by the first incident of Cholera in October, He is not shocked that it is continuing to spread and kill thousands. He won't be suprised on the 28th when the elections are held.

I want to ask you, if you are reading this post, to pray for Haiti.
God is near to the poor, sick, and broken in spirit. He is VERY near to Haiti.

{photo credit}

-Pray for the elections coming up on the 28th. Pray that a leader who loves Christ will be put in charge. Pray that he will have the wisdom and humility to know what to do with this broken nation and the humility to ask when he doesn't.
-Pray for the people of Haiti. That no matter what the outcome of the election that they will respect those that God has put in Authority. Pray for safety. There have been many riots in the past few days due to this election.
-Pray for the Cholera epidemic. They need prayers. They need money. They need help.
-Pray for the organizations that have been in the thick of it all since before the earthquake. Some organizations that I follow and personally know some of the staff of are Global Outreach, Heartline Ministries, Real Hope For Haiti. Pray for them. They need it. Real Hope For Haiti runs a rescue center that is now overflowing with Cholera patients. They are recieving help from nurses at Global outreach and Heartline as well as some other ministries. (I linked to thier blog at the top of this post.)
-Pray for Haiti.


Please click those links. Pray for those ministries. Get to know those ministries and others. Consider giving to them.

Perspective

What do you see?

 

I see old, rugged wood, barbed wire, rust, splinters.

Rugged(n): Having a broken, rocky, and uneven surface:

But if we change our perspective...

What do you see now?

Beauty.

Breathtaking beauty.

Green pastures, snowy mountains, blue skies, gray clouds, yellow flowers, fog lining the trees and mountains. 

What I wouldn't give to be sitting on the hill where this photo was taken and drinking in the beauty of the day.

I am sitting there. On that hill. Looking at beauty.

I didn't realize it until the other day, and I was again reminded of it this afternoon. 

Remember when I wrote about talking to strangers? Its happened a lot recently. 

Everyone always asks what I'm doing when I graduate. All I can do is shrug my shoulders and say, "We'll see, I guess."

The closer I get to graduation the more peaceful I am about it all. In August I was totally panicked. Like in complete hyperventilation mode. 

Now... I'm not. I know God's got this. I should boast in my position of uncertainty. 

I think in the last 2 weeks I've had about 10 people tell me they were jealous of me. OF ME!?!?! I always want to say, "I'm sorry. I think you must be confusing me with the other Noelle that doesn't know what she's doing with her life." But I think they really mean me. Here's why... I have a lot of friends that feel like they are stuck in a rut. The rut of school, or kids, or a job, or family, or debt. While sometimes I feel like a complete failure as an successful Aggie that I'm not graduating with a double major, a husband/fiance, and a job, other people are totally jealous of me!

They tell me that they can't wait to see what God is going to do with my life. (Frankly, neither can I!) I'm not tied down in any way, shape, or form. I don't have student debt.(Hallelujah!) I don't have a family to take care of and/or provide for, I have plenty of "vacation time" because I don't have a job lined up, and I am young and ambitious. I'm in the furthest thing from a being in a routine that a human being can be!

The more I talk to people, both strangers and non-strangers, the more I realize I'm right where I need to be. I don't exactly know where that is... but I'm in the right place.

I realized its all about the perspective. Its about what I see. How I look at it. I can look at the rusty old barbed wire fence just waiting to give me tetanus. Or I can change my perspective and see the big picture. That I'm in the most gorgeous spot on earth. In God's creation, right smack dab in the middle of where He wants me. Willing to run any direction to chase Him.

Where are you?

What do you see in your life?

Look closer! Find the beauty.

 

 Life is beautiful. 

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

I must be dreaming?!

*Disclaimer* The beginning of this post may sound negative or like I'm complaining... stick with me. I'm not.... Please give it a chance before you start to scroll or scan like I know we all do when we read semi-interesting blogs. Thank you.


I will walk the stage to graduate in 38 days and receive that scroll of paper that says that I've done something worthwhile for the last 3.5 years of my life. I will forever be able to describe myself as having a "B.S Health Education" degree.... Which is kind of what it is.
They (whoever the infamous "they" refers to) told me I could go places. At my New Student Conference they said this would be the best degree I could choose. It would open a world of doors for me and I could do anything I wanted to do!
Well, sign me up!

Here I am graduating. I can't get a job with this degree. They totally lied. I have to go BACK to school to get a Nursing degree if that's what I want to do.

Don't get me wrong. I'm totally excited about going back to school. I've known all along I was going to go back to school, so I'm not shocked or anything. I am just in a strange place in life right now.

Strangely awesome that is.

As I walked into class today I had a weird feeling in my stomach. I'm almost finished here. I had to shake my head to see if I was dreaming.

I thought about my freshman year. I always looked at the seniors and thought they knew everything. They had their lives together. They were pros at this because they'd been through it already.

I laughed thinking how I was half right and all wrong. Here I am, a Senior. Graduating in a teeny bit over a month... far from knowing anything.

In 38 days I will officially have a bachelor's degree. I've learned so much during my time at Texas A&M. I wouldn't take it back for the world. I have learned about science, and health. I have written countless lab reports and taken what feels like a million tests, but what I have learned the most about is love.

How to love God.
How to love people.

Those lessons are more valuable than anything I ever learned about healthy eating or a benzene ring.

When I walk that stage and receive my diploma, switch my tassel on my cap to the other side, and flip around my Aggie Ring those lessons will not be over.
(Good thing too because I can still use a lot of work in both those areas.)

What's next?

I.
Have.
No.
Clue.

I'm applying for nursing school. But there is always the possibility of not getting in. Either way I have January-June that are totally blank in my planner. 6 Months. 26 weeks. 178 days. Half a year.

I have finally stopped panicking about it.
The closer it gets the more relaxed I am. WHAT?!?!?

I went through a few weeks where I was crying and panicked and frustrated and scared about the possibilities and the uncertainties. Finally I reached a point where I came to the absolute end of myself. After months of begging God to work something out or make something happen or find me a way to get back to Haiti or let me know what I'm supposed to do next semester I finally got it.

I realized my mistake.

I trust God with my eternity. With my life and death forever. With my eternal SOUL!!!!

But I didn't trust Him to take care of January. Or February. Or March...

How silly. What a fool I am.

God's got this under control. He just wants me to be willing. And I am. I'm hoping that His plan includes me loving children in Haiti for 6 months.

But if His plan is for me to scrub toilets in the Evan's Library, or pick up trash on the highway, or simply continue to serve coffee to stressed out college students for a semester then I'll trust that. And I'll use the opportunities He provides to continue my education of loving Him and loving people.

Grumpasaurus

Who likes to people watch?

I definitely do. I love watching people in the coffee shop as the interact and study and I love watching everyone the first week of classes when the freshman are trying to find buildings and classes. Its so cute to watch them walk around with their maps and ask people where the academic building, or Rudder, or the Chemistry building it.

I spent a lot of time in the airport yesterday. I passed the time by people watching.

Oh. My. Goodness.

People in the airport are Grump-y!

-Some people RUN through the airport trying to catch their plane and push people out of their way.
-Some people ride those carts with the drivers who try to run you down and shout at the last minute " 'Scuse the cart!" or simply make honking noises with their mouths... (weird)
-Some people push and shove to try and get in line to board first. Even if they are in boarding group 4, they try to get in at the same time as the first class people. I don't understand that. You have in your hand a ticket that says "19C". They aren't going to give your chair away. Relax!
-Once I sat down the wiggling started. Thankfully the chair immediately next to me was vacant and the guy on the other side was asleep the whole time. However, the man in front of me and the man behind me were total wiggle bugs. I think the man behind me may have been mad about something because there is no way someone could "accidentally" kick my chair every 30 seconds for 2.5 hours. Good thing I wasn't trying to nap.
-No wonder flight attendants are so rude. They deal with rude people every day. Even the most positive person in the world would be worn out after a week of that job.

All this to say.

My goal of yesterday was to be optimistic and cheery.
I think I succeeded.

I tried to smile at everyone and just be relaxed and cheerful. It made my trip so much more enjoyable.

Next time you travel give it a try!

What's your best travel story? Best flight? Worst fiasco? Grumpiest flight attendant? Screaming baby or seat kicker?